Administrators in the Weare school district are covering for school staff members who contracted COVID-19.
Superintendent Jacqueline Coe on Monday cited two clusters at Center Woods Elementary School, where at least 10 people tested positive for COVID-19 while in the building last week, WMUR-TV reported.
“At this point, very few people in the Weare School District are wearing masks in the building, even though many individuals have been notified that they are confirmed close contacts,” Coe said in a letter to the school community. “Based on our plan and mandates from the Department of Education, we have no intention to shift to remote learning.”
In August, Weare School Board members voted to make masks optional for everyone in the district. Neighboring districts of Henniker, Stoddard and John Stark implemented universal masking requirements around the same time.
In Bedford, Memorial Elementary School is just emerging from a COVID-19 outbreak. Officials said they have been using targeted masking and plan asymptomatic testing soon, starting with staff members.
“Once we do that, we will open it up to other groups,” Superintendent Mike Fournier said. “So, sports teams, grade levels, classrooms.”